Capital

Neighbors. It’s rare for me to remain patient while reading a novel that crosses four hundred pages. I usually feel that editing would have produced a better book. John Lanchester’s sprawling novel, Capital, comes in over 500 pages, and it sat on my shelf unread for a long time. I shouldn’t have waited because I enjoyed reading every page. Lanchester presents the lives of individuals living on or associated with those on Pepys Road, a street in London. There’s a large cast of interesting characters, and the time period, 2007 and 2008, allows Lanchester’s knowledge of the financial crisis, the art world and the treatment of suspected terrorists to filter into the novel with clarity and precision. Family relationships are presented with a sharp eye to observing genuine human interactions and presenting them to readers with insight and empathy. Neighbors are close and distant, share things in common, and lead very different lives, the same as on your street or mine. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Capital from amazon.com.